


Red Flame

by disparity



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 20:05:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disparity/pseuds/disparity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Solona is too busy saving the world to worry about herself, and Leliana is still waiting for the other shoe to drop.</p><p>Warden/Leliana fluff scene before the Landsmeet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Flame

**Author's Note:**

> I really needed a playful Leliana. She's so serious in Inquisition, and while I love her, it makes me sad. This is about as close to fluff as I get <3

Solona threaded her fingers idly through her hair, pulling it away from her face. It was no longer the gentle, comforting gesture of days past—light fingers on her scalp to ease the headache that came with too much studying of ancient texts—it was painful, now. She hadn't noticed that she was tugging harder each time, pulling out more of her long, dark hair. As it collected in her hand, she shook it out onto the floor. A small pile lay next to the plush armchair, barely visible in the dim light of a single candle.

Leliana's voice, smooth and quiet as it was, frightened her into an overdramatic flinch. “If you keep that up, you will pull all of your lovely hair out.” She looked apologetic as she stepped into the light. “Forgive me. I did not mean to startle you.”

“Oh?” She tried at a small, twisted smile. “Do you often sneak around in the dark when you're _not_ trying to startle someone?”

The concern was plain on Leliana's face, but she only said, “I'm afraid it has become a habit.”

“Well, at least I can trust you not to use it for nefarious purposes.”

“Oh, you.” She kneels in front of the chair easily, taking Solona's hand in hers. “Here I have come to comfort you, and instead I am receiving compliments. If I didn't know you better, I would think you were doing it on purpose.”

“What, trying to avoid uncomfortable discussions? Me?” Solona chucked weakly. “Never.”

“If I am making you uncomfortable, I can go.”

She shook her head, lightly caressing the back of Leliana's pale hand with her thumb. “You just...” She paused, then sighed. “You always know when I need you. How do you do that?”

“No one is as subtle as they think.”

Solona laughed again, the sound still too ragged to be mirthful. Sometimes she forgot that this sweet, pious woman used to be a talented spy. She was about to say so and barely managed to stop herself. Leliana preferred not to discuss her past. Not everyone shared her preference for blurting things out at inopportune moments; it was a lesson harshly learned but well-remembered.

“You don't lie often,” said Leliana, quickly adding, “which is a good thing. I like that you are honest. But... it means that you have a lot of tells. And this?” Leliana reached up to take her other hand, pulling it gently out of her hair. “This is a tell.”

“And what does it tell you?”

Leliana threaded their fingers together, intertwining both their hands and resting them gently on Solona's knee. Her voice was gentle as she revealed, “It tells me that you are afraid, but you would rather hide it than worry your friends. It tells me that you are as kind as you are brave, and that I... I have made the right decision, in choosing to follow you.”

Solona's mouth quirked up at the corner. “You have tells too, you know.”

“I... I don't know what you mean.”

“You stutter when you think I'm not going to like what you say,” said Solona wryly. “Like you're trying to decide how much you can alter the truth before it becomes a lie.”

Leliana made a noise of protest. She struggled for words, stuttering and trailing off several times. Solona raised a challenging eyebrow, and Leliana scoffed in response. She pulled one of her hands back as if readying a smack on the knee, but Solona caught the hand and brought it to her lips, pressing a light kiss to her knuckles.

“I would not lie to you!” Leliana protested. Her grip tightened. “You know that! I... I only...” She looked up at Solona with a pleading look before deflating. “The last woman I loved, she... She taught me things that are not so easily forgotten.”

“I don't expect you to forget them.” Solona reached forward, tucking a few stray strands of red hair behind Leliana's ear.

“Of course not. You forgive me too easily.”

“There's nothing to forgive,” said Solona, her words firm but hands gentle against Leliana's cheek. “I know who you are, Leliana, and I love you.”

A shiny film of tears covered the blue in Leliana's eyes, glinting off the candlelight. They shared a lover's gaze for a long moment before Leliana's expression abruptly changed, her mouth falling open. “You're doing it again!” she exclaimed. “Oh, you are more clever than I give you credit for, distracting me with your beautiful words. I should not be fooled so easily!”

Solona's brow scrunched in confusion, causing Leliana's expression to change again. She looked bashful as she raised her hand to her lips.

“Oh, Maker's breath. You _aren't_ doing it on purpose, are you? You are truly that kind, that you would think to comfort me when you are hurting.” Leliana rose to place a kiss on her forehead, snuggling closely to her in the large, plush chair. “How can you still amaze me?”

Now Solona ducked her head. “Oh, I'm nothing special. And I'm fine, really.”

“You stop that, now,” said Leliana, a reprimand in her tone. “Tell me what has you sitting awake in the cold at this hour when you could be sleeping in an actual bed, with feather pillows and everything!”

Solona exhaled through her nose, resting her head on top of Leliana's. She meant to speak, but the words wouldn't come. She allowed Leliana's warmth to calm her, twisting their fingers together again. It was a simple thing, but Solona still obsessed over it every so often, clinging to the feeling of peace and safety that came with it.

“If I could hold your hand while I fought the archdemon,” she said, not realizing until she spoke that she was mumbling sleepily, “that'd make it so much easier.”

“Is that what troubles you? The archdemon?”

Sighing again, Solona said, “It's this thing with Alistair.” She felt Leliana's hand clench around her own and gave it a reassuring squeeze before she continued. “He's stopped with the roses. I meant all the Landsmeet rubbish.”

She was relieved when Leliana relaxed beside her. It'd been far simpler to gain Leliana's trust in battle than her trust in love—and even now Leliana was prepared for the worst, remnants of a past that still haunted her.

“I mean, really, what business have I in saying whose arse ought to sit on the throne?” she went on, worries tumbling out of her. “I don't have enough knowledge of ruling to even gossip with the chambermaids about it, much less have any significant part in deciding the fate of an entire nation. I'm not even Fereldan!”

“You are kind and honest, and you are a great warrior.”

She scoffed. “Please. I use magic that I stole from the memories of an ancient elf. That's _cheating_.”

“You did not steal it, and it is not cheating,” said Leliana adamantly. She shifted, pulling Solona closer and looking straight into her eyes. “You are a talented mage and a Grey Warden. You have gathered an army with your wits and your will and your desire to help other people, at great cost to yourself. You are the best woman I know. There is no one I trust Ferelden's, and even all of Thedas' fate to, more.”

“Well, it's official then,” said Solona with a shrug. “Thedas is fucked.”

“Oh, you are terrible!” Leliana smacked her arm.

“You love me anyway.”

She hummed happily. “I do,” she agreed, pressing her lips chastely to Solona's, pulling back before she could deepen the kiss. “Will you come to bed, hmm?”

“That depends on what's waiting for me.” Solona waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Leliana repeated the gesture and replied, “That depends on how fast you get there,” before leaping out of the chair and running from the room. Solona shouted in protest before barreling through the arl's estate in the dark, following peals of delighted laughter.

The single candle continued its vigil through the night, a beacon in the darkness.


End file.
